Tack button



ug.v22, 1939. L R, CARLEY '2,170,235

TACK BUTTON Filed May 17, 1938 Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT lOFFICE The Patent Button Company,

Waterbury,

Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 17, 1938, Serial No. 208,480

7 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful im,- provements in buttons, and more particularly to a tack button.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, tack buttons generally comprise the button head and hub, in which latter there is tted or embedded, if a molded button, a die, into which, in turn, is to be driven a tack, so that the prong will be deformed within the die and thus tightly hold the button to the article to which it is to be attached.

Tack buttons, whether of the metal or plastic type, are generally provided with insignia on their upper faces to designate a brand or trade-mark, or the button heads may have a fanciful design thereon.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tack button, especially of the plastic type, wherein the insignia on the button face will bear a definite relationship to what might be termed shaped or formed that an orienting mechanism may position the button with its insignia in a certain definite relationship to the garment to which it is to be attached.

Tack buttons are used in great numbers on work garments, aprons, and overalls, and unless some special form of button is used and some special form of orienting mechanism, the button with its design or trade-mark when placed say onthe bib is as likelyr to be upside down as Vit is to be in a readable position.

One of the main objects of the present invention, therefore, is to provide -a tack button wherein the hub bears a certain definite position to the insignia on the button, so that the button may be placed in abutton-attaching machine having a special orienting mechanism cooperating with the hub, thus assuring that the button will be fed to its attaching station and attached in the proper oriented readable position.

The present application is a companion to one filed by me of even date herewith for tack buttons and bearing Serial Number 208,479. In the companion application, a hub is shown with nonparallel sides and dissimilar ends, Whereas in the present application, the hub is always provided with two parallel sides and dissimilar ends, so that the button may be oriented and then fed through a chute, the two parallel sides preventing 50 the button from turning on its way to the attaching station after once being oriented.

Furthermore, the present invention contemplates a button with a special type hub, so that if the embossing is not done at the time the button is molded, it may be fed to an embossing station a non-conventional hub', the latter being so in the same manner in which it would be fed to the attaching station of the button-attaching machine and the embossing done in certain definite relation to the major axis of the hub.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tack button preferably of the plastic type, in which will be embedded an anchor or die for receiving the tack, the hub having parallel sides but the ends of the hub, whic'h are preferably elongated, being of different contours, so that they will fit only in one position in an orienting mechanism, thus assuring that when they are fed to the attaching station, the design, insignia, or trade-mark will be in the desired position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain new and novel features and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully explained and pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawing showing a preferred form and three slight modifications;

Fig. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of my improved button head showing a ydie embedded therein; y

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View thereof showing the novel hub;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View similar to Fig. l, but showing the button in its attached position;'

Fig. 4 shows a button about to be embossed; l Fig. 5 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a slightly modified form of hub;

Fig. 6 is a similar view of a further modiiication;

Fig. '7 is a still further modified form; and

Fig. 8 shows a fragmentary portion of a bib of van apron or Voverall and illustrating a button attached with the insignia reading from` left to right.

Referring now to the drawing, and for the moment to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, there is shown a plastic button head I with its integral hub 2 and chamber 3, in which is embedded the anchor or die 4. This die is formed of metal and will deform the prong of the tack during an attaching operation to thus tightly hold the button head to the cloth.

'I'he face of the button is embossed, as illustrated by the numeral 5, and in the-present instance, as may be seen in Fig. 8, the insignia 5 consists of the letters P. B. Co.. 'Ihe insignia may be formed on the button face during the molding operation, or it may be embossed by placing the same in a die, a fragmentary portion of which is shown at 6, Fig. 4. A suitable plunger l will be used, so that when the button is heated, the desired insignia may be pressed right into the face of the button.

The gist of the invention consists in the novel shaped hub 2 positioned in certain relationship to the insignia. In the preferred form, as shown in Fig. 2, the hub is provided with the two parallel sides 8, the one end of the hub being' arcuate, as at 9, while the opposite end consists of the two walls l that meet at the point I l. As mentioned, the position of the hub bears. a certain relationship to the insignia on the button, as may be seen in Fig. 8. Thus, when the point of the hub extends downwardly, Fig. 8, the insignia P. B. Co. will be in its correct, readable position.

The button is to be fed to an orienting mechanism (not shown), so that the hub will only pass out of the orienting mechanism in its properly aligned position. By having the opposite ends 9 and it dissimilar in shape, the button will only pass out of the orienting mechanism in its true end-for-end position.

rllhe orienting mechanism forms no part of the present invention, but it might be stated that it will be provided with a receiver or die cup having an outline similar to the outline of the aforementioned hub.

After the button is fed from the orienting mechanism, the parallel sides ofthe button hub will prevent its turning, if fed down a chute, on its way to the attaching station where the tack l2 will be forced through the cloth I3 into the die i and there deformed to hold the button in its proper, readable position, as clearly shown in Fig. 8.

In Fig. 5, there is shown a slightly modified form of hub lil, in this instance the hub, in bottom plan view being substantially rectangular in shape, having the two parallel sides l5, the ends, however, being dissimilar in that the end I6 is a plane surface while the end I1 is slightly arcuate.

It will be understood that this hub will likewise only nt in a similarly shaped die cup in its proper, attachable position. rI'he rest of the button will be identical with that shown in Fig. l.

In Fig. 6, there is a second modification shown, wherein there is illustrated the elongated hub i9, having the parallel sides I9. Howeverythe ends are not alike, as one end 20 is arcuate while the other end is indented, as at 2|.

In Fig. 7, there is shown the third modified form, wherein the hub 22 is,in the shape of a trapezoid having two parallel walls 23 and the non-parallel ends 24 and 25, so that this hub may be likewise easily fitted in an orienting cup and in the one position only. It will be understood that whatever the shape of the hub, the orienting mechanism will be formed to cooperate with it.

The insignia on all of these buttons will bear a definite relationshipto the major axis of the hub, as will be readily appreciated.

If the insignia or design is embossed in the button head at the time the button is molded, the dies will be arranged so that the embossing bears a definite relationship to the hub. If, on` the other hand, the embossing is to be done after the button is molded, it will be readily understood that the button will be fed in an orienting mechanism to the embossing dies, so that likewise the embossing will be carried out and properly oriented with respect to the major axis of the hub. Thus, when the button is oriented in the attaching machine, the insignia will be in the readable position or rghtside up when attached to its garment.

It will also be understood that although the button illustrated is of the plastic type, a metal button might likewise be used with these variously shaped hubs that will permit of a quick orienting of the button and assure its proper position when it reaches the attaching station (not shown).

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a button having a hub preferably of a quadrilateral shape and wherein the two ends are never alike in shape or contour, so that the button may be properly oriented in the attaching machine, and when attached, the insignia will always be in the desired readable position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tack button having an integral hub elongated in bottom plan, the said hub having two parallel sides, the ends of the hub being dissimilar in contour, insignia on the top face of the button and bearing a definite position with respect to the hub.

2. A button having an integral hub elongated in bottom plan two sides of which are parallel, the opposite ends of the hub being dissimilar in outline, insignia on the top face of the button and bearing a denite position with respect to the hub.

3. A plastic tack button having an integral hub, said hub being rectangular in outline, the one end of the hub being rounded in cross section and the other end of the hub being pointed, means located in the body of the hub for receiving and deforming a tack during a button-attaching operation, and the top face of the button provided with insignia bearing a definite position with respect to the major axis of the hub.

4. A plastic tack button provided with an integral hub, means in the hub, for receiving and deforming a tack during a button-attaching operation, the hub being substantially rectangular in bottom plan View, one end ofY the hub presenting an unbroken arcuate surface and the other end of the hub having a broken surface, the top face of the button provided with insignia and bearing a definite relationship with respect to the major axis of the hub.

5. A tack button having an integral hub substantially quadrilateral in bottom plan, the two sides of the hub being parallel, one end of the hub being arcuate in outline and the other end of the hub presenting a ilat surface, insignia on the top face of the button and bearing a definite position with respect to the major axis of the hub.

6. A tack button having an integral hub, the hub in bottom plan being in the shape of a trapezoid, insignia on the top face of the button and bearing a denite position with respect to the parallel sides of the hub.

'7. A tack button having an integral elongated hub, means located in the hub to receive a tack, the hub having two parallel sides and ends of non-like contour, and insignia on the face of the button bearing a definite relation to the parallel sides.

LEONARD R. CARLEY. 

